Gas prices at highest rate since 2014

Gas price going up at a local Speedway on corner of Cable and Allentown Road in Lima. Craig J. Orosz | The Lima News

LIMA — Gas prices across the nation are at their highest point since 2014, with gas prices almost as high as $3 a gallon, according to Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.

Motorists looking to find the cheapest gas prices should buy in Mercer County, which has a average gas price of $2.60.

Hardin County has the second lowest gas prices at $2.62, followed by Auglaize at $2.64, Putnam at $2.70, Van Wert at $2.747, Allen at $2.748, Shelby at $2.75, Logan at $2.78 and Hancock at $2.80.

On Monday afternoon, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Ohio was $2.73, while last week’s average was $2.67. Gas prices have gone up 23.8 cents from last month’s average and have increased 46.7 cents from last year’s average.

Gas prices in the Lima region have gone up 5.2 cents since Sunday, according to prices reported to GasBuddy.com. Lima’s gas prices have gone up 7.3 cents since last week. The average for last month was 24 cents lower than Monday’s prices, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 5,345 gas outlets in Ohio.

The national average has increased 4.5 cents last week from $2.76. Gas prices have gone up 45.3 cents since last year and is up 15.3 cents since last month.

Although the national average is at its highest point since November 2014, DeHaan expects that prices may decline in the near future.

“The only good news for motorists? We’re nearing a turning point in the U.S. — gas prices are perhaps just a dime away from hitting a peak for the short-term, pending OPEC’s meeting in June,” said DeHaan in a news release. “With refineries well positioned for the summer months, we look for some relief by mid-June, but do expect this summer to remain one of the priciest in the last few as average prices climb close to the psychological $3 per gallon barrier.”

Gas price going up at a local Speedway on corner of Cable and Allentown Road in Lima. Craig J. Orosz | The Lima News

https://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2018/04/web1_Gas-prices_01co.jpgGas price going up at a local Speedway on corner of Cable and Allentown Road in Lima. Craig J. Orosz | The Lima News